Package opening device



June 7, 1938. I w P A 2,l 1 9,793-

PACKAGE OPENING DEVICE Filed March 25, 19 35 INVENTOR WILLIAM HPLAGEMAN.

.. BMW

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE OPENING DEVICE wiuiann. Plageman, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 25, 1935, Serial No. 12,885

9 Claims.

sheet material, are especially diflicult to open because of the nature of the material itself.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to embody in such a package a device for facilitating the opening of the package which is covered with Cellophane or other such material.

A further object is to devise such an opener which can be readily applied to the sheet mate- 15 rial in which the package is wrapped'and which can be easily manipulated for opening the same.

It is also an object to devise an eflicient method of applying this opening device to the sheet material in which the package is wrapped.

Another object consists in providing such a device which will not disturb the sealed condition of the package.

A still further object is to devise such a package opening device which can be operated in such manner that it will not mar the material enclosed within the package while at the same time the device may be operated in an extremely efllcient and expeditious manner.

Other objects will appear from the following .description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 illustrates the manner of applying the opening device to the wrapping sheet;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device fully applied; Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of using my device for opening the package;

Fig. 4 is. an enlarged plan view, part in section, of my device in opening position;

Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is' a perspective view of the metal blank prior to being formed into the joint member; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view illustrating how this same member is formed into the joint member.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is merely for purposes of illustration and that These two parts are connected together with acompound swivel joint for certain purposes to be 55 hereinafter explained.

. In order that a 11111 and clear understanding may be had, I will first describe themanner of applying my opening device to the Cellophane or other covering material.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be seen that the hook member I is in incompleted condition upon initiation of the application of the same to the Cellophane C, the hook member being completed during the operation of applying the hook member to the sheet of Cellophane.

It should also be explained that these opening devices are applied to a large sheet of Cellophane C which is later cut into the predetermined size for wrapping the individual packages P.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the hook member I occupies overlying position with respect to the tab 2 and the hook member extends in a plane normal to that of the tab, for a purpose to be explained.

The relative arrangement of the hook and tab members, as just referred to, is permitted by the ball joint between the ball end 3 of the hook member and the slitted tubular portion 4 of the joint member 5 which has ears 6 clamped about the edges of the tab so as to secure the same thereto. The tab may consist of fabric and has its one side provided with an adhesive material 2 for causing the same to adhere to the Cellophane C, as will be more fully understood.

In connecting the hook member I to the joint member, the shank I is first engaged in the slot v in the middle of the socket portion 4 before the portion 4 is rolled into its socket form, the ball 3 being placed so as to occupy position within the socket 4. I

In Fig. 1, the hook member has a portion I" extending substantially-parallel with the tab 2, an intermediate portion l extending at approximately forty-five degrees to the plane of the tab, and an end portion I extending upwardly at right angles to the plane ofthe tab. A succession of these devices, in partially completed condition and with the hook member lying flat upon the tab, will be advanced intermittently beneath a moving sheet of Cellophane C;.and at predetermined intervals, the hook members I will be raised to the position in Fig. 1, and a die (not shown) will be then lowered upon the Cellophane sheet C so as to force the end portion I through the sheet. By a continuation of the same die movement, the end portion I and intermediate portion I b of the hook member will be compressed into completed form and the hook member will be turned to lie in flat lying beneath and the portions I and l lying above the sheet of "Cel1ophane.

In the process of forcing the sheet oi. Cellophane down over the hook member, as above explained, their relative movements are so timed that the intermediate portion I will be threaded through the hole in the "Cellophane sheet so as to engage the bightof the hook member in the hole in the manner described.

The final lowering movement of the die into engagement with the opening device, as above explained, will cause the tab to adhere. to the "Cellophane sheet by virtue of the adhesive material which is preliminarily provided upon the side of the tab that is adjacent to the Cellophane. If necessary, a suitable source of heat can be provided to facilitate the adhesion of the tab to the Cellophane.

The adhesive material is provided in an annular-like band upon the tab so as to prevent any of it from entering the hole in which the hook member engages. In this way, there is precluded any danger of the adhesive material l adhering to the hook member which is thus maintained in most eifective condition for the opening operation. The adhesion of any of the adhesive material to that part of the hook member which lies upon the inner side of the Cellophane might cause damage tothe material of the package during the opening operation.

The extreme reduced end portion 2*- of the tab will be left free of the adhesive material so that the same may be readily grasped by the fingers of the user when it is desired to operate the opening device for opening the package.

It will be observed that-during the process of applying the opening device to the Cellophane sheet, C, (Fig. '1), the opening device is upside down. In devising this method, consideration has been given to the usual manner in which Cellophane is handled in the bundling operation and also to the matter of simplicity and efliciency in actually applying the opening device to the sheet.

It will be observed that when the opening device has been fully applied to the Cel1ophane" cover, the effective part, that is, the bight, of the opener which engages the hole in the Cellophane, lies approximately beneath the center of the tab. That is to say, the diameter of the tab is about twice the length of the hook member, and this arrangement permits the application of the adhesive material in the manner explained. The tab not only prevents the passage of air, moisture, or dirt through the hole in the Cellophane wrapper, but thetab also serves as a protective v cover for the hook member.

The package is shipped and stored with the opening device in the position indicated in Fig. 2. When it is desired to open the package, the free end of the tab will be engaged by the fingers of the user and the tab pulled away from the .Cellophane; and by a continuation of the same movement, the hook member which engages the edge of the opening will be caused to tear the Cellophane or other wrapping material, and thereby free the package of its cover to the extent desired. The initiation of this tearing action is indicated in Fig. 3.

It is to be understood that this opening, device may be applied to any part of a Cellophane cover and may be extended in any direction sothat by manipulating the same for the opening operation in the manner just described, only the end portion of the Cellophane" cover may be removed or the "Cellophane may be severed completely or in any other manner desired.

While this opening device is especially useful in connection with opening packages which are enclosed by Cellophane, yet it can be used to advantage in connection with any sheet material within which a package is enclosed.

This device may be. made of any suitable size, according to the size of the package to which it is applied; and if so desired, the surface of the tab mav be utilized for advertising purposes or for ornamentation. a

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a wrapped package having an opening in the wrapping thereof, an opening device comprising a tearing member with its one end engaging the edge of the opening, an operating tab for said tearing member, said tab being located entirely outside the opening, and a pivotal connection between said tab and the other end of said tearing member whereby said tab extends entirely over so as to seal said opening during shipment and storage of the package.

2. In combination with a wrapped package having an opening in the wrapping thereof, an open ing device comprising a tearing member engaging the edge of the opening, an operating tab for said tearing member, said tab being of substantially larger dimensions than said tearing member and being located so as to entirely cover and surround the opening, and said tab being releasably sealed only to that region which surrounds and is spaced from said opening, whereby the sealing material is confined to the outside of the opening.

3. An opening device for sheet-wrapped packages, comprising a tab and a tearing 'member' swivelled to said tab about the longltudinalaxis of the tearing'member', whereby the tearing member may extend in a plane normal to the wrapping during application of the tearing member to the wrapping and then turned substantially ninety degrees so as to lie flat against the body of the package.

a 4. An opening device for sheet-wrapped packages, comprising a tab and a hook form of tearing member swivelled to said tab about the longitudinal axis of the tearing member, whereby the tearing member may extend in a plane substantially normal to the wrapping during application of the hook to the wrapping and then turned substantially ninety degrees so as to lie flat against the body of the package.

5. An opening device for sheet-wrapped packages, comprising a tab and a tearing member swivelled together so as to be relatively movable about the longitudinal axis of the deviceand also about an axis normal to said longitudinal axis, whereby the tearing member may extend in a plane substantially normal to the wrapping during application of the tearing member to the wrapping and then turned substantially ninety degrees so as to lie flat against the body of the' package, and the tab may occupy position turned down over the opening and the tearing member and may later be turned upwardly for the opening operation.

6. An opening device for sheet-wrapped packages, comprising a tab and a hook form of tearing member, a socket upon which the shank of said tearing member is swivelled about its longitudinal-axis andwhich extends across the end thereof, so that the tearing member can extend in a plane normal to that of the tab during application of the hook .to the wrapping and can then be turned so as to lie flat against the body of the package, and said tab being secured at one edge to said socket so that 'the tab can occupy position turned down over the tearing member and may later be turned upwardly forthe opening operation.

7. An opening device for sheet-wrapped packages, comprising a tab and ahook form of tearing member, said tab being of greater extent than said tearing member, a socket upon-which the shank of said tearing member is swivelled about its longitudinal axis and which extends across the end thereof so that the tearing member can extend in a plane normal to that of the tab during application of the hook to the wrapping and can then be turned so as to lie fiat against the body of the package, and said tab being secured at one edge to said socket so that the tab can occupy position turned down over the tearing member and the hole in the wrapping so as to com.- pletely cover the hole and may later be turned upwardly for the opening operation.

8. An opening device for sheet-wrapped packages, comprising a tab and a hook form of tearing member, said tab being approximately twice the length of said tearing member, a socket upon which the shankoi -said tearing member is swiuelled about its longitudinal axis and which extends across the end thereof, so that the tearing member can extend in a plane normal to that.

of the tab during application of the hook to the wrapping and canthen be turned so as to lie flat against the body of the package, and said tab being secured at one edge to said socket so that the tab can occupy position turned down over the tearing member and the hole in the wrapping so as to coverthe hole at approximately the middle part of the tab and may later be turned upwardly for the opening operation.

7 9. An opening device for sheet-wrapped pack-- ages, comprising a tab and a hook form of tearing member, said tearing member being approximate1y half the length of said tab and having the end of the hook turned back upon itself so as to prevent marring of the package itself, a socket upon which the shank of said tearing member is swivelled and which extends across the end thereof so that the tearing member can extend in a plane normal to that of the tab during application or the hook to the wrapping and can thenbe turned so as to lie fiat against the body of the package, and said tab being secured at one edge to said socket so that thetab can occupy position turned down over the tearing member and the hole in the wrapping'and may later be turned upwardly for the opening operation.

. WILLIAM H. PLAGEMAN. 

